Mobile gaming startup Z2Live promotes Lou Fasulo to CEO

Fast-growing mobile game maker Z2Live has promoted Lou Fasulo to the position of CEO, replacing co-founder David Bluhm who is transitioning to chairman. Fasulo previously served as COO of the company, which has quickly grown to more than 120 staffers in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.

The announcement was made internally to staff this afternoon.

“Z2Live is the house that Lou built. For the last year and a half, Lou has overseen Z2Live’s development and creative teams, establishing Z2Live as one of the world’s leading mobile social games studios,” said Bluhm, a mobile veteran who previously led Hands-on Mobile and GoTV Networks.

Z2Live’s titles, including Trade Nations, MetalStorm and Battle Nations, have been played by more than 40 million people. The company, which is profitable, purchased Vancouver’s Big Sandwich Games earlier this year. It also raised $2.5 million in startup cash last year from Madrona Venture Group and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

In his new role, Fasulo plans to oversee the launch of several new game titles this year.

UPDATE: Here’s more from Bluhm on why the change was made and what’s next for him at the company.

“Operations have increasingly scaled under studio, where more than 90 percent of all staff directly touch the games being made, and therefore fall under Lou’s direction. Lou has done a superb job of growing this company, and launching three games that are leaders in their categories. His promotion makes sense at this point in the company. Along with the company growth, Z2Live’s business is increasingly global and is poised to expand into several important geographies, namely Asia, which is what I will be focused on, as well as the longer term opportunities now available to Z2Live.”

John Cook is GeekWire's co-founder and editor, a veteran reporter and the longest-serving journalist on the Pacific Northwest tech startup beat. Follow him @johnhcook and email john@geekwire.com.